1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with providing improved machinery for processing leads and more particularly for gaining precise control over the ends of reformed component leads to facilitate their subsequent automatic assembly in electrical circuits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of electrical components are manufactured and supplied with their leads extending generally parallel from corresponding sides or portions of their component bodies. In order to facilitate their subsequent automatic insertion in printed circuit boards or the like, it is first desirable to assure straightness of the leads and to reform them with oppositely extending, coaxial portions. Moreover, it is frequently found desirable to retain in each component adjacent to its body predetermined shorter lead portions, the "standoff" length, which will support the component body above the circuit board, remaining portions of the leads being adequate for clinching plus a range of selected leg spacing as dictated by the spacing of preformed lead receiving holes in the board. The components as received from a supplier may be interconnected by tapes or magazine mounting means extending across their generally parallel leads, making it necessary to eliminate such tape or mounting as a preliminary step to suitably reforming the leads and thereafter reconnecting them with their ends spaced by new feed tape or the like.
Various lead straightening and/or taping mechanisms have previously been provided. A few are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,771,206; 2,928,452; 3,151,387; 3,349,813; 3,404,712; 3,344,816; 3,421,284; 3,520,336, 3,525,372; 3,570,559; 3,616,089; 3,636,624; 3,687,172. Additionally, numerous component inserting machines (such as that shown for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,350) have hitherto incorporated lead cutting and forming means, the latter often being concerned with converting coaxial leads to a U-shaped or staple configuration prior to insertion of the lead ends.
So far as we are aware, there is no available reliable machine for converting parallel "one direction" component leads to coaxial or oppositely extending lead type components.
In view of the foregoing, it is a main object of this invention to provide a machine for receiving lead-taped or magazine components having radial or parallel leads and then successively transforming and repackaging them as essentially coaxial lead type components ready for installation in a circuit.
Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient machine for converting electronic components having generally unidirectional leads to standoff components having leads which project coaxially in opposite directions from their standoff portions.